Four Goodgymmers rocked up in Totteridge to Grow, the farm by Totteridge Academy. The plan was to see how many of the 32 holes we could dig in 90min for the cement for their new polytunnel's posts.

Each hole needed to be 50cm square and 60cm deep. I foolishly suggested we aim for 4 holes each. We got stuck in - Alefiya, who joined us for the first time, plus regulars Subham and Kubilay. Grow had a team of 3, as Chris, the farm manager, was busy with a family event at the other end of the field.

We started by measuring out and setting the posts (which promptly had to be readjusted) with sledgehammers. Then we took up spades and started digging. And found out just how hard digging 60cm holes actually is! One spade down and we were through topsoil into clay. One side of the clay was full of flint, and dry. The other side wetter, so heavier. An excellent workout, but we only put a small dent in the overall work, between the seven us only digging around 9 holes.

We all stayed past the 90min mark to try and do as much as we could, and the Grow team will carry on digging a few more holes this week, but they've asked us if we can come back next weekend for another round.

Sign up here for next Saturday!

It's a great area to visit - near the Dollis Valley Greenwalk and some nice routes through the back of Woodside/Totteridge. Well worth a Saturday run or cycle!

A few GoodGym Barnet members decided to clean up their local Streets as part of the Goodgym January challenge. well done for all your efforts and thanks for pulling together to help hit our January targets. awesome effort!

Our GoodGym Barnet group gathered at the Phoenix Cinema for an evening run and to gather data on barnet Tiny Forest. ( A unique,tree planting technique developed by Earthwatch) Despite the damp weather, spirits were high as we embarked on a 6km route through quiet streets and alongside Mutton Brook. Moya, our run leader, welcomed us. We shared weekend stories and warmed up .Limbs stretched, hearts pumping, we prepared for the run ahead. Our footsteps echoed off the buildings as we explored the quieter streets of east finchley before nature and the dark embraced us as we ran along Mutton brook. Cherianand Alefiyah joined our mission at the forest. We then set about measuring the young saplings that were now two years old and we uploaded the data, to the Earthwatch portal. Over 200 special Tony forests exist across the country. Anyone can contribute by measuring trees with a ruler and tape measure. We returned to the Phoenix Cinema, hearts ablaze with the magic of our run. Be part of something bigger—explore, measure, and make a difference with GoodGym Barnet! 🌲

Thank you for little picking in December 2023. We will continue to offer anytime litter picking into 2024.